USA > Iowa > Kossuth County > History of Kossuth County, Iowa > Part 63
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At those early fairs sorghum was always much in evidence and was of a good quality. Horace Schenck was the first to display homemade brooms. They were heavy but would outwear those made in later years. Scrub horse races and trotting exhibitions were enjoyed then fully as much by the specta- tors as are the races witnessed now at our county fairs, where thoroughbred horses on the track are ridden or driven for the enjoyment of the crowd.
In the spring of 1861 the first steps were taken to form a more perfect organization, when Secretary A. A. Call called a meeting for the purpose, to be held on the 3rd of June. Vice-President Kinsey Carlon was the presiding officer at the meeting when the organization occurred. The officers named were D. W. Sample, president ; L. T. Martin, vice president ; Ambrose A. Call, secre- tary ; Lewis H. Smith, treasurer. The directing board consisted of Judge Call, Dr. Mason, Horace Schenck, M. C. Lathrop and J. E. Blackford.
For several years after this organization was formed the fairs were well conducted and the settlers were much interested in them. Some of the good features have not been equalled at any of the fairs since that time. This is especially true in the matter of encouraging farmers to make their premises look attractive. A premium being offered in 1861 to the one who would show the best tilled farm, caused quite a number to compete, and much interest in the proposition to be manifested. The judges rode out to the various farms, viewed the condition of the soil after the cultivation, and then made their award. That year W. B. Carey was the lucky winner. Some competitors left a few rods square of weeds growing to show the judges how these fields would have looked if no cultivating had been done. An offer of that kind now by the fair association would be productive of much good.
The year 1861 was quite an early one in the history of the county, but at the fair that year there was considerable display of needle work and cookery. Prizes awarded in the culinary department went to the John Heckart, Charles
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Gray, Horace Schenck, W. H. Ingham and T. D. Stacy families, while those awarded for needle or ornamental work went to the ladies in the J. E. Stacy, H. F. Watson, G. W. Blottenberger, C. Taylor, and Luther Rist families.
For the next ten years the association had hard work to meet the expenses and pay the premiums. In order to help it along several donated all their pre- miums to the association for two or three years. The same question was debated then that is often debated now as to whether the fair should be made a pumpkin show or turned into a racing exhibition.
When the spring of 1867 came a move was started to revive the fair asso- ciation that had almost passed out of existence. In March a call was made by Marcus Robbins, Jr., John G. Smith, Lewis H. Smith, Ambrose A. Call, Charles C. Chubb, Orange Minkler, E. N. Weaver, L. K. Garfield, Asa C. Call, and George Campbell for a meeting to reorganize the society. At the appointed time the meeting was held and Ambrose A. Call was elected president of the society ; D. W. Sample, vice president ; J. H. Warren, secretary ; H. M. Taft, treasurer ; J. E. Blackford, Rufus Walston, H. M. Taft, Leonard Hohn and James G. Foster, directors. The new life injected into the enterprise caused a couple of fairs to be held that were fairly creditable and then the interest in the movement died away to a considerable extent, for the expenses became too large for the receipts to cancel.
During the spring of 1872 an earnest agitation began for another reorganiza- tion of the association, so that it might become of a more permanent character, own its own home and have suitable buildings erected. The new organization elected D. H. Hutchins, president; George W. Mann, vice president; F. M. Taylor, secretary ; J. E. Stacy, treasurer. On the third and fourth of October of that year the first fair was held under the direction of these officers.
The Kossuth County Agricultural Society was the name adopted for the fair association. March 28, 1872, was the date when the society purchased of J. E. Stacy, the first tract for a permanent fair ground; and that tract of twelve acres was the nucleus around which the present fair ground has grown. Mr. Stacy sold the society about six acres more adjoining. January 7, 1879, and J. W. Wadsworth sold another six acres in October of the same year. These purchases gave the society the present beautiful fair ground it possesses. The county, through its board of supervisors, has donated funds several times to assist in making improvements. In June, 1872, it gave $300, and in April, 1877, it donated $700 more.
It was the idea of President Hutchins and others from the start to locate the fair ground where it was finally established. That idea was earnestly op- posed by quite a number of influential men, who urged that it would be far better to purchase a site on the open prairie where there would be no expense in dig- ging up the trees and leveling a track. The issue was stubbornly fought out by both sides. When the matter was settled by a preponderance of votes, it left several having hard feelings against the prime movers of the project.
When the proposition to fence the ground was made, the greatest wrangle the society has ever had ensued. About one-half of the members favored fenc- ing and the other half wanted to have the money it would cost spent for im- provements on the track and for buildings. It was during this excitement that
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life member certificates were sold to all who would come down with $10 spot cash.
In the course of time cheap stalls appeared along the fence, a small amphi- theatre by the track, and the vegetable hall just to the north of it. Then came the little floral hall and more stabling. It was not until after the Wadsworth purchase enabled the ground on the north to reach the street and include the beautiful shade trees, that the premises had an attractive appearance. From that time on citizens have taken a greater interest in the fairs than they ever did before.
No county in the state has a more valuable or a more attractive fair ground than has Kossuth. Those fine buildings and structures which are the pride of all citizens were not erected without much activity and good judgment on the part of the managers. There are now in the neighborhood of $20,000 in im- provements, all told, and the society carries $6,000 on the buildings. The amphi- theatre cost nearly $4,000, and the grand hall more than that amount. Thirty- two men loaned the society $100.00 each to build the amphitheatre, on con- dition that they receive each year 60 per cent of the gross receipts taken in at the amphitheatre until the debt was paid. At the close of the 1912 fair the society still owed each of these shareholders about $72. That structure costing much more than the amount raised by the shareholders and by private subscriptions, the banks loaned enough to complete it and finish the buildings. The total indebtedness at present is about $3.900. The grading alone in 1912 cost about $2,200. If good weather can be assured at the coming fairs for a few years the debt will be cancelled, for all the necessary expensive buildings have been erected.
The thirty-two who loaned $too each for building the amphitheatre are: George E. Boyle, J. M. Farley, H. J. Thompson, Boyle & Farley, Emil Chris- chilles, Whittemore State Bank, Phil Cullan, F. C. Newel, George Newel, Newel Bros., E. W. Dryer, C. J. Lenander, M. Schenck, Chrischilles & Herbst, T. H. Wadsworth, E. P. Keith, J. T. Bohannon, W. K. Ferguson, Lewis H. Smith, J. W. Wadsworth, Chubb Bros., George B. Hall, H. C. Adams, A. M. Jasper- son, Lathrop & Weaver, Julius Kunz, W. H. Ingham, Susie Carmody, and A. A. Call. To George E. Boyle belongs the credit, more than to any other one man, for the agitation which resulted in the extensive improvements being made which began in 1907.
The directors for the year 1912 were E. A. Wolcott, president ; Lee O. Wolfe, vice president ; T. P. Harrington, secretary; M. Schenck, treasurer; H. J. Thompson, superintendent of privileges; F. C. Newel, superintendent of gates and M. L. Roney. George E. Boyle was the marshal and J. B. Johnston, chief of police.
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SOUTH SIDE OF STATE STREET, ALGONA When the "Milwaukee" Road came in 1870
OLD ALGONA COLLEGE IN THE DAYS OF PRESIDENT O. H. BAKER REV. J. H. TODD IN THE FOREGROUND
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CHAPTER XXVI THE CITY OF ALGONA
The two Call brothers who were the first settlers to view the town site of Algona and the ones to found the town, were in many ways very much alike, but in others were the very opposite. Both were broad-minded and possessed of good judgment, and both were inclined to reach out after large undertakings and make a success of them. Being several years the senior, the Judge had the bulk of the capital, and the advantage of several years of business experience when they came to the county. He surveyed the boundaries of propositions as a whole, while his brother foresaw at a glance the minutest details that would arise for attention. The senior apparently had but little sentiment and seemed to care nothing for the preservation of the records of past events, while the junior took great pride in noting for future reference the date of all impor- tant local happenings. Asa was the graceful and entertaining platform speaker who always held the attention of his audience with the greatest ease. Ambrose, on the other hand, shunned public speaking and refrained from personal dis- play, but was an interesting conversationalist on a multitude of subjects on which he was well informed. He was the careful historian and took pleasure in recalling the events of long ago. He was the ambitious contractor of the United States Mail routes, and the speculator in Louisiana rice fields, while his older brother bent his energies in effecting desired legislation and in inducing railway companies to run their lines through Kossuth. After living in the county for a little more than thirty-three years, Judge Asa C. Call died January 6, 1888. His brother, Ambrose A. Call, who died October 22, 1908, had made his home here for more than fifty-four years. The town these brothers founded, became incorporated after an existence of nearly sixteen years, on the 2d day of Febru- ary, 1872, and became a city of the second class on the 27th day of December, 1888.
The present town site of Algona consists of the original site and various additions which have been surveyed and platted. The dates in which the plats were filed on record are as follows :
The original site was surveyed by Lewis H. Smith in April, 1856, at the request of Asa C. Call, and the plat was recorded December 2. 1856.
Call's addition of 278 blocks was surveyed and platted at the request of Asa C. Call, Ambrose A. Call, John Heckart, Anthony Durant and Henry Durant, and the plat was recorded September 11, 1871.
W. H. Ingham's addition of about thirty lots November 22. 1881.
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Call & Smart's addition, by Asa C. Call, S. L. Witter and J. J. Smart of about nine blocks-August 4, 1882.
Asa C. Call's sub-division of the east six rods of blocks 276, Call's addition, September 5, 1882.
Asa C. Call's third addition of six blocks-November 1, 1883.
Ambrose A. Call's Park addition of about thirty-eight lots-May 19, 1887. Ambrose A. Call's South Park addition of three blocks-March 19, 1887.
J. E. Stacy's addition of two blocks and out lots-July 21, 1891.
Call's State street addition of three blocks by George C. Call and the other sons and the daughters of Asa C. Call, deceased-November 26, 1895.
Call's avene addition of seven blocks by George C. Call and the other sons and the daughters of Asa C. Call, deceased-March 19, 1896.
John G. Smith's addition of twelve lots-November 6, 1899.
Lute A. Stacy's addition of forty lots was surveyed and platted by C. B. Hutchins in November, 1912.
On the same principle that one must pass through the stages of infancy, childhood and youth before reaching maturity, a city before becoming such must have developed through various stages of growth from the first little cluster of homes. Algona had her infancy in the pioneer days before the close of the Civil war; had her childhood from that period until about the time the Milwaukee road came; had her youth beginning in 1872 when she became an incorporated town, and had her maturity into a city of the second class, with wards and aldermen, towards the close of the year 1888.
Algona as a pioneer village has been treated at considerable length in con- nection with the early history of the county, the narrative closing by noting the events occurring about the time the Civil war came to an end. H. F. Watson and Jas. L. Paine, were then the only merchants, and Frank Harrison was run- ning the only hotel. That building stood on the present hospital corner, and was said at that time to be "forty miles from nowhere." The John Heckart cabinet shop and the Oliver Benschoter blacksmith shop were the only manu- facturing establishments of any kind.
During the year 1865, M. M. Foster began operations to build a dam and water-mill just north of town, and the Dr. S. G. A. Read family arrived, July 4, to become residents and to found the Upper Des Moines with Mrs. Lizzie B. Read as managing editor. The paper was printed in the wing to John Heckart's house on Call street. Among the other prominent arrivals that year were Mr. and Mrs. A. D. Clarke, the Chubb brothers, Capt. D. D. Wadsworth, Lieut. Pier, Marcus Robbins, Jr., and a few others who only remained a short time. That was the year in which Lewis H. Smith spent most of the time out in the mountains, engineering the Sawyer wagon road.
James McIntyre came early in 1866 and opened the first hardware store in the county, although his family did not come until two years later. Mrs. J. W. Wadsworth, his daughter, lives on the location where he established his home, and where he pounded tin and sold his wares for many years, until his death. A few, yet in town, still remember that merchant and his good qualities.
In that year, 1866, the town took on new life and showed prosperity by nearly doubling in population during the last half of the year. The W. H. Ingham family moved down from Plum Creek, became residents and identi-
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fied with the future growth of the town. The first court house was built, the lumber being hauled from Boonesboro, and the first church edifice was erected that summer and fall by the Baptists. Three men each with an ox team went to lowa Falls for the lumber. They were W. F. Hofius, James Henderson and Dr. M. H. Hudson. The latter was a Congregationalist, but donated his serv- ices in that way so as to aid the Baptists in erecting a house of worship. Those who put up store buildings were A. A. Call, the Durant Bros., and J. L. Paine. Durrin established his shingle mill near the site of Mrs. Frank Nicoulin's resi- dence; Evans and E. N. Weaver each built a cabinet shop; Owen & Bumpus opened up their cooper shop and did a thriving business; a man by the name of Jones built a tannery and prospered for several months; and "Mill" Foster completed the building over his mill. Dr. Read built his residence and the modest homes of Hunter, Phillips, Walston, Pinkerton, Chubb, Clarke, F. C. Willson, M. M. Foster, Rod Jain, Washburn, Evans, Owen & Bumpus and the State street shop of Pettengill & Hine were built during the year. In May, 1866, John G. Smith arrived from Boston and joined his brother, Lewis H., in the mercantile trade, on the garage corner southwest of the courthouse. In the fall of that year they moved to the Ambrose Call building east of the square, while their own building was being erected. At that time the lawyers were M. Robbins, Jr., Asa Call and Lewis H. Smith; the land men W. H. Ingham, A. D. Clarke and Call & Durant; Dr. Read was the druggist, and H. F. Watson and J. L. Paine the merchants, besides the Smith Bros. Among those who came to the county at that period and made their homes in the country, but who are now residents of Algona are C. W. Parker, A. M. Johnson, E. S. Johnson, Mrs. A. F. Dailey, Mrs. Eva Fitch Gardner, John and Wesley Hohn, Mrs. O. E. McEnroe, Mrs. Stella Hudson Reed, Colman C. Chubb, Warren Baldwin, Mrs. Eunice Baldwin Stebbins, Link Singleton, and the elder Kain brothers. These all came in 1865, except the latter, who came with their parents during the preceding year. Among those from the country who came in 1866, and are now living in Algona are D. A. Baker, F. W. Waterhouse, K. S. Lamberson, Z. L. Holman, Mrs. Carrie Durant, Mrs. Frank Nicoulin, Joel Taylor and wife, Mrs. Elizabeth M. Horton, G. M. Parsons, F. C. Willson, James Cronan, John Sifert, and M. E. and Lydia Worster.
During the year 1867, John and Jonathan Winkel opened a grocery store on the corner now occupied by the Advance office; J. Mayhew was proprietor of the old log hotel on the city hall corner, and had changed the name from the St. Nicholas to the Mayhew House; Frank Nicoulin was building a new shop and his brother Robert was dealing in flour. Jack Pinkerton going into politics, was elected sheriff that fall, and the M. B. Dalton and the E. D. Taylor families, including Mrs. Hattie Chubb, became residents. It was that summer that Foster's mill and dam washed out and made him continued trouble. In May, a base- ball club was organized with A. A. Call as president; J. H. Warren, secretary and Lewis H. Smith, treasurer. On the third of July "the special artist," Bill D. T. Travis, exhibited his famous paintings "Honor to the Cumberland Army." and in August a Good Templars' Lodge was instituted, and received twenty-seven candidates. Several residences were built on North Thorington that year, Mason Leech's being one of them.
Several events occurring during the year 1868, are well remembered. The
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Springvale brass band came up on the evening of New Year's day and played for the Good Templars' entertainment, and that was the first music of the kind ever heard in the county. In February the Cemetery Association was organized. One Saturday night of that month, James Henderson's house took fire and burned, and on the following Tuesday Ambrose Call's suffered the same fate. In those days Mrs. Sears was the only artist, Weaver & Minkler were running the shingle mill, Woodward had the only harness shop and Israel Jennings was the boot and shoemaker. Clock and watch cleaning and repair- ing were done at that time by Captain Wadsworth, who came to town a couple of days each week for that purpose. June 16, 1868, was the time when the first circus was here. It was Orton Bros., Egyptian Caravan and South American circus. It is remembered for its big name and small equipment. The Spring- vale band, which had played here on New Year's evening, having given a num- ber of boys the band fever, they called a meeting for the purpose of organiz- ing, but it amounted to little. Those asking for such an organization were J. B. Robison, Abe and Thomp Crose, J. E. Wheeler, J. H. Warren, W. G. Stacy, Jas. Henderson, Jr. D. T. Jones, Adelbert Blanchard, Frank Nicoulin, Rollin Sayles, W. H. Adams and Alex Smith. It was during the summer of that year that Jonathan Winkel built his clothing store, Simon Hatch doing the work. That building is still standing in the rear of the Moe Bros. market. It was also that summer that McGill & Cordingley opened the first exclusive shoe store with a partnership which was dissolved the next year, and the business was then continued by William Cordingley for a long period. Mrs. C. O. Fish, now of Algona, came to Seneca that year.
Events were lively during the year 1869. for the survey of the Milwaukee road from Nora Springs to Sioux City began in May. J. B. Jones, John Ramsey, Dr. L. A. Sheetz, Dr. James Barr and F. M. Taylor arrived early to be on the ground floor. Cowan & Plumley burned a kiln of brick, S. Hesler started the first exclusive grocery, E. S. Lamb established the first livery, G. R. Wood- worth his New York store, Miss. L. M. Clarke her millinery rooms, Amidon took charge of the Harrison House and Mr. Ferry became the resident jeweler. On August 7 came the total eclipse, as did also Cramer's circus. About that time Alfred Bongey put in an appearance to become a resident of the hustling county seat. Two of our residents came that year: Henry Reid to Union and Mrs. Peter J. Walker to Seneca. It was during the stirring summer of 1869, that M. W. Stough and D. H. Hutchins with their families arrived. Mr. Hutch- ins built the brick store now occupied by John Mesing, and then the firm of Stough & Hutchins went into the agricultural implement business for a few months, and then dissolved. On the 28th of December occurred the death of John Wilson which is still remembered by several who are residents of the town. During the summer and fall a considerable amount of grading on the Milwaukee road had been done on the line in the county, east of Algona. After the ground had frozen too hard to do grading, a crew, under Tom Abrams, was blasting through the cuts north of town, when the caving of the bank buried Mr. Wilson and crushed him to death. He was one of the 1865 settlers who had come from the army after having served with the Second Pennsyl- vania Reserves, and then with the Ninety-first Pennsylvania Volunteers, and
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had seen much hard service while with the Army of the Potomac. His widow, Mrs. Ann Wilson, is still living near Burt at the age of ninety-three.
The coming of the Milwaukee road in 1870 gave the town a great boom and made things lively. During the year there were erected besides cheap shanties, one hundred and forty-one new buildings, among which were three fine hotels. At the depot Ambrose A. Call had the Algona House well under way before the close of the year. Dammon & Griffin built the Cliff Hotel on the corner now occupied by the poultry establishment, and Dr. D. P. Russell put up the Russell House on the corner where the Kossuth Hotel (Algona House) is standing. These hotels gave the town an attractive appearance and were of great benefit at that time when people were rushing into the county. The Russell house was destroyed by fire about twenty-seven years ago, while Landlord Younie was the proprietor. The two brick stores on the west, which was a part of the struc- ture, were destroyed at the same time. The Cliff Hotel at another date met the same fate, after it had had many proprietors and after its name had been changed from the Cliff to the Commercial and then to the Iantry House. Be- sides the Algona House, Ambrose A. Call put up a couple of wooden store buildings that year. Three lumber yards started and all did a thriving business. W. W. Johnson and F. L. Putman had theirs at the depot, but J. J. Wilson drew his lumber up town and sold it there.
Several stores were opened during that year of 1870, one of which-that operated by Theo. Chrischilles-is still in existence. The Galbraith Bros., about that time began selling a general stock; S. C. Spear, clothing; R. H. Spencer, Wildey & Marvin, and David Patterson, groceries; J. W. Robinson, hardware ; D. S. Ford and J. R. Jones, implements; Durant & Sheetz, G. C. Lawton, and Whitney & McCoy, drugs; Emil Chrischilles, drygoods; Tom Lockwood, notions ; O. A. Atwood, insurance ; D. H. Hutchins, melodeons ; and Patch & Nycum, land. P. L. Slagle and F. W. Hawes made harnesses; R. P. Bell and P. D. Rumsey tinkered watches, Cowan & Plumley and A. D. Grow were the contractors on mason work, M. Warner and D. C. Ackley, Pettengill & Hine and Frank Nicoulin were blacksmiths, William Yeamans, Alf. Bongey and A. Wolfe the principal carpenters ; E. D. Taylor the fashionable tailor ; and M. P. Vanderhoof the lead- ing painter. Dr. Leavitt had come that year and gone into partnership with Dr. Barr, and lawyers H. S. Vaughn and Charles Birge had hung out their shingles. The Kossuth County Bank, the first one in the county, was organized at the very beginning of the year 1870. That banking institution, in its re- organized form, exists among the very few enterprises that had their birth that year.
The first cornet band organized in town, and the second one in the county, was the result of the generous donation by the citizens for that purpose. About the Ist of August, 1870, nearly $600 were sent to Julius Bauer & Company, of Chicago, for silver instruments. Just who the original members were in full, seems difficult to determine, although some of them have been questioned on the subject. V. H. Stough, M. Warner, Al Johnson and Frank Nicoulin were evidently four of them, as the writer remembers the band. When there was a reorganization, four years later, these four, J. H. Saunders, Ed Williams, D. J. Long, M. P. Vanderhoof, W. L. Hollar, W. E. Spear, John N. Weaver,
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